Nordaustlandet

Nordaustlandet is a large, remote island in the Svalbard archipelago characterized by extensive glaciation and an Arctic polar environment. It is the archipelago’s second-largest island and is largely covered by major ice caps.

The island’s landscape is dominated by vast ice fields, mountain peaks and rugged, often inaccessible coastlines; terrestrial vegetation is sparse tundra. Wildlife includes polar bears, seals and seabird colonies that use coastal cliffs and islands for nesting.

Exploration and scientific activity have taken place since the age of Arctic exploration, but there are no permanent civilian settlements and human presence is seasonal and limited. The island is administered under Norwegian Svalbard regulations and visited primarily by researchers and carefully organised expeditions.

Nordaustlandet lies to the northeast of Spitsbergen within the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, well north of mainland Norway and deep inside the high Arctic climate zone.

• Remoteness: Almost entirely uninhabited and dominated by ice caps and tundra, the island is visited only by scientific expeditions and occasional guided cruises or polar trips.
• Wildlife and safety: Home to Arctic wildlife including polar bears and seabird colonies; any visit requires careful planning, polar-bear precautions and adherence to Svalbard regulations.

What to See #

• Austfonna: A vast, dome-like ice cap that covers much of the islands interior and is one of the largest ice caps in the European Arctic, shaping the islands glacial landscape.
• Vestfonna: A second major ice field occupying parts of the northern and western interior and contributing to the islands heavy glaciation and rugged coastal margins.